Become An Instructor

Instructor Training (Christian Gap Year & 2 year)

Why choose Rock UK?

We’ve been around since 1922 when a bunch of Sunday school teachers took a group of children, who had never had a holiday before, out of London on a healthy break to the south coast to improve their spiritual, mental and physical health.

Since then, we’ve grown into a thriving business welcoming over 50,000 visitors each year to our four adventure centres around the UK. Our ethos which is to bring adventure into learning in the outdoors, to transform lives, remains as true today as it has always been. We want kids to have lots of fun on activities whilst growing in confidence and self-esteem.

An action-packed course

This is an action-packed adventure programme with on the job training. The full course is for two years although we also have a limited number of one year places available. Throughout the programme you will be learning and working at the same time, gaining essential experience in youth work and leading groups.

Working with like-minded Christians

The course is residential so you’ll be living, working and training together with other like-minded Christians, building friendships and making life-long memories.

Your time will be spent learning how to plan, run and instruct activity sessions such as kayaking, archery and high ropes and will help deliver the busy summer programme of activities.

FAITH SHARED AT ROCK UK SINCE 1922

Course Itinerary

The course offers a good mix of faith, learning and adventure.

FAITH

It’s a faith-transforming, once in a lifetime opportunity. You’ll be engaged in a range of challenging outdoor activities and a series of workshops and seminars. You will learn to rely on God to sustain you physically, mentally and spiritually through challenging outdoor activities, workshops and Bible study. You’ll gain a greater understanding of yourself as a disciple of Christ.

LEARNING

We’re passionate about groups experiencing the power of the outdoors as an educational tool. Understanding how different people learn is essential to working with groups, so during your training you’ll explore learning in all its forms and acquire the skills needed to teach, lead and run activity sessions.

ADVENTURE

We’ll fuel your thirst for adventure with training in the Cairngorms in Scotland and the Gower or Snowdonia in Wales. You’ll grow stronger through the challenges you face and bring all you’ve learnt back to the young people on centre where you’ll develop your youth work skills by putting your training into practice.

IS THIS COURSE FOR ME?

How does kayaking, rock climbing or gorge walking, working with young people and leading adventure activity sessions, sound to you? Spend time camping under canvas with a bunch of new friends that feel like old mates, share testimonies of faith, study the Bible together and go on a life-changing journey with God.

You’ll need to have a servant heart and be prepared to put in hard work and devotion.

You won’t need any previous experience, just a love of the outdoors, a relationship with God you want to grow and a heart to see young peoples lives transformed.

Free Open Days

Our free open days are a chance for you to try your hand at a range of challenging outdoor activities, find out more about the christian gap year and two-year programmes, discover which of our four nationwide centres you would like to be based at and have the chance to meet existing trainees and ask any question you may have.

MISSION TO LESOTHO

As part of your second year, you will experience a mission trip to Lesotho in Africa.

You’ll stay at the Lesotho-Durham Link Outdoor Activity Centre which is just outside of the country’s capital, Maseru. There will be plenty of time to work alongside local instructors and prepare for the outreach camp which you will run for children who have become the head of their households.

On the mission you will introduce the children to activities including: archery, climbing, abseiling and canoeing and spend time teaching them more about God’s love for them.

You’ll also get a chance to see the work of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).

WHAT’S THE COST?

There is no course fee, but in return you will be working to deliver our activity programme.
Your accommodation is included and you will receive a weekly allowance. Essential kit is provided for you on arrival and a mission trip is included in the second year.

Raising support

You will have an amazing opportunity to build and nurture a personal support network of friends, family, church and others who will share your successes and challenges and partner with you financially.

We ask that you commit to raise at least £3,000 per year to support the work of Rock UK. It may sound daunting initially but don’t worry, the emphasis isn’t on the final amount raised but rather on you actively engaging in the process and overcoming the challenges you face. Some individuals go on to raise significantly more than the minimum amount. We will provide support and advice to assist you along the way.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS CAN I GET?

FIRST YEAR QUALIFICATIONS

BCU Level 1 Paddlesports

Archery GB Instructor

British Fencing – Core Coach

16hr First Aid

STA Pool Lifeguard *

BC Level 1 MTB Leader *

*Centre Specific

SECOND YEAR QUALIFICATIONS

BCU Level 2 Paddlesports

BC Level 2 MTB Leader

Single Pitch Award – Climbing Instructor

ML – Mountain Leader Award *

Typically trainees achieve two of the second year qualifications.

Course Structure

The first 3 months of initial training will be based at our Whithaugh Park training centre.

Training consists of six units which each seek to develop experience, knowledge, understanding and skills in a specific discipline or activity.

Where will I be based?

After your first three months at Whithaugh Park, you will then spend the remainder of your programme at one of our four UK wide centres. To help you choose which centre you would like to be based at, take a look at the centre information sheets below: